The most unpleasant step remained—to drink a few drops of blood from each of the criminals and witness all their victims. Vampires intentionally purchased only the worst scoundrels; each present had at least three victims to their name, if we count fatal outcomes. But there were other crimes, and observing their lives was a serious test for one's psyche. Seizing a man by the ear, the vampiress looked him in the eyes. After a few seconds, surprise reflected in them.
"Interesting. Alright, stand up and go over to the wall, stay there until I'm done with the others."
Spending another minute on the remaining convicts, the girl called the guards and ordered them to lock them in the basement. The young man was instructed to follow her. Walking through the village, they stopped near one of the houses. Maria knocked on the door.
"Katya (Kateryna)! Open up!"
The young man watched in amazement as soon the door was opened by a sleepy young woman in a nightshirt. Was she asleep? It was still evening! But then the girls switched to Elurian, and he ceased questioning the strange pastimes of people in this house.
"They brought me a new batch of convicts."
"What's that got to do with me?"
"This one is innocent."
"What?"
"He didn't kill those three women. He's only ever killed chickens."
The sleepy woman looked at the young man with interest.
"And you woke me up for this? Sunset's still an hour away!"
"So, where do I put him? I can't use him for experiments. I don't have separate rooms. So he's yours now."
"What am I supposed to do with him? If he's not a criminal or a prisoner, what then?"
"I showed him my fangs," Maria said, embarrassed.
"Good job. Showed off again in front of the men, hoping they'd attack you? Alright, go ahead. And you, young man, come in."
After making sure the man had entered the porch, the girl pointed to a stool.
"Sit here while I get dressed. Don't even think about going outside."
Soon, dressed in men's clothing, the girl came out and grabbed the young man by the ear.
"So, you're Erich, right?" she said after a few seconds.
The young man bowed in surprise, or rather attempted to bow, since his ear was still tightly held by the small female fingers.
"Correct, mistress."
"Then listen to me, Erich. You're spared from the northern mines and penal servitude because you're innocent of the crimes for which you were convicted. But we can't just let you go scot-free. You've seen too much."
The young man flinched.
"Don't worry, we won't kill you. But you'll have to live with us in the village as an indentured servant. You'll follow simple rules, and no one will bother you. I'll tell you right away, leaving the village is prohibited. If we catch you, there will be consequences!"
The woman suddenly found herself behind him.
"You won't escape from us. So don't even try. Since you worked at the tavern, you'll work almost in your field here. Let's go, I'll show you where you'll live."
They had to walk to the other end of the village. Despite the daylight hours, it seemed deserted. The houses were new, solid, but all alike, like two peas in a pod. He hadn't figured out how the locals navigated yet. And lots of trees. There was even a path between them!
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